In 2009, the Koningshoeven brewery reinstated an age-old tradition: aging La Trappe Quadrupel in oak barrels (also known as ‘barriques’).

This way of aging ale results in a unique, complex flavour, which varies from one type of barrel to another. Quadrupel can be conserved for many years, and is a real treat for true ale enthusiasts. And this is yet another ale that continues to ferment after bottling, while its rich taste and high tannin content are likely to even surprise many a wine drinker!

S. Smell is, well, disappointing, no real hints of oak, or as far as thats concerned anything at all, very tame.

T. Taste is very mild and tame, which could be seen as a positive thing given that it hides the the high ABV.

Mouthfeel: is very light with a heavy carbonation , very mild bodied and a soft finish.

Overall: The tamest most non memorable Trappist that I have had, if there was a style to tie it to I would call it a session Trappist, But this beer under-delivers for being a $15 bottle, disappointed, yes. (595 characters)

Jazzed to have this turn up in a local bottle shop, always enjoyed this brewry, & the happy to have a chance to try the oak-aged version of their quad. Not so jazzed about the small bottle size & price, but what can you do?

La Trapped Oak Aged Quad is rich, fruity, head-spinningly sweet all-round. Very loud apples & pears, dripping liquid corn sugar, drown out the best of the beer. The oak is a distant spectator at best, really just dries out the aftertaste. Other dark fruits, figgy stuff, things that should be grown in Greece, heavy overripe bananas, heart-burn inducing spices. Ends on a bit of a darker note. I am wishing I'd split this little bottle with my lovely wife, now, the sweetness is going to be tough to down.

Well, good, but a bit disappointing. The sweetness just dominates with a whip & a heel, & everything else slinks around trying to avoid notice. Good brew, but I was hoping for a bit more distinction in the oaking. (1,178 characters)

Got this one at Geers in Gent a while back on another cool trip with Doops. Cheers!

From a 375ml cork and caged bottle into a La Trappe chalice. Batch #2

APPEARANCE: Pours a smaller, medium looking off-white head with decent retention. Colour is a hazy sangria or maroon red with lots of carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a thin film that stays until the end and leaves some nice lacing down the sides. Much the same as the regular quad, though with a somewhat smaller head.

SMELL: Definitely a quad that’s been in oak barrels. The quad characteristics, however, have been taken over by the barrel somewhat. Definite oak and vanilla aromas in there, with only hints of caramel and dark fruits in the background. Just a touch of spicy yeast underneath, but this is now more about the barrel and less about the base quad. Alright, but a little mute and not as interesting as the base.

TASTE: Much like the nose, though bolder and more enjoyable. The barrel is not overpowering by any means, certainly plays the lead role over the base beer. Some oak and vanilla up front, with a hint of caramel and dark fruits though the middle. Some plumbs and raisins are still there, trying to push their way through the oak flavors. A good dose of spicy yeast, with all the clove and pepper flavors that accompany it, come through at the swallow. A bolder and lingering aftertaste of sweet oak barrel notes and spicy yeast works well.

PALATE: Similar palate to the base beer. Medium body and carbonation. Not quite as creamy as the base, but goes down fine and finishes slightly mouth-coating. The barrel ageing has mellowed the alcohol burn a bit, which is a nice touch. Good feel.

OVERALL: I enjoyed this brew for sure. While the nose was a little less interesting and the palate a little flatter, the taste profile was quite intriguing. As a quad fan, this oak aged version blended the barrel with the base quad quite well, but consequently muted the base quad slightly in order to make room for the barrel. La Trappe quad is a very bold and flavorful brew, so it’s not surprising that the barrel had to make room for itself somewhere. Regardless, this is the first barrel aged trappist to my knowledge, and based on how enjoyable this one was, I hope we see some BA Rochefort 10 and Westvleteren 12 soon enough. Well done La Trappe! Cheers! (2,353 characters)

Pours a cloudy, deep dark ruby red/chestnut brown color with mahogany edges when held to a light and a half finger light beige head that quickly settles into a thin lasting ring. Thin rings and sporadic spots of lacing left behind.

Sweet estery aroma with hints of dark fruit, spice, candy sugar and a nice oak barrel presence. Slightly toasty with a sweet vinous character that compliments the dark fruit notes very nicely. Hints of grape, raisin, fig, currants and plum along with some other dark berries and some nice earthy oak. There's also some zesty spice notes with hints of pepper, anise and candy sugar. The nose on this beer is very complex.

Medium bodied but on the fuller end with a good balance of vinous and earthy barrel character, spice, estery Belgian yeast and sweet dark fruit. The barrel character is most prominent up front but it isn't too aggressive, allowing the flavors of the base beer to shine through. Great balance of toasted oak and sweet vinous notes. The blend of virgin, La Trappe and Port aged French oak creates a nice balance of flavor. Subtle smokiness with hints of vinous grape notes that compliment the base beer very nicely. Not boozy or hot at all, however, resulting in a very flavor, well balanced beer that is extremely quaffable. The barrel flavors are quickly balanced by the sweeter, spicy notes of the base beer. Hints of grape, currant, fig, plum and raisin as well as some faint alcohol sweetness, candy sugar and peppery spice.

Overall, I enjoyed this beer very much. I had high expectations going in and they were exceeded. If you love this brewery like do or Belgian quads in general, I highly recommend seeking out this beer. Excellent! (1,715 characters)

I had some severe high hopes that this was going to be better than the regular version but I beleive that the orginal is still better. This beer pours out very similar to the regular Quad, it's basically the same brown color. This one might be a little easier to see through and the head is much thinner here. The aroma is a little bit let fruity and more wooden which makes sense but I was hoping that some of those fruit aromas would have been preserved in here. There a slightly sweet and sour aroma coming off it as well. I don't really get vanilla though. The taste has a little bit of vanilla but it's not nearly as lively as the original version. This beer has a similar mouthfeel but less bubbly. Overall both are wonderful brews but I feel that you can save a crap load of money and just stick to the original version. (827 characters)

Pours a deep dark mahogany with some wispy off-white head. Nose is all about big vanilla bean shoving it's way past some banana-yeast to stand as the king over this aroma.

Palate is sharp with alcohol right off the bat. That big vanilla, bourbon-like presence is dominant. Lots of sweetness and that banana-y yeast flavor battling it out. Caramel and a suggestion of the classic wool flavor.

Notes: This beer is super sweet and getting into the cloying territory. I would have like more wood tannin or some extra hops to bring balance back to this beer. I do appreciate the uniqueness of the style and dig that it came from a Trappist brewery. (733 characters)

Batch #3Thanks to schmittymack for bringing this one over a week ago. Poured from the cool little 375 into an Odell glass. Pours a lightly hazy amber color with a good white head. Aromas of light oak, dark fruits (plums, figs, dates) and caramel. Medium bodied, with dried fruits, raisins and toffee. (301 characters)

Deep mahagony colored and completely still. A slight yellow haze of the rocky thick head with fabulous retention and lacing.

Aromas are as good as the looks. Very complex and many different things going on. Raisin, date, prune, milk chocolate, tobacco, red currant, caramel, toffee, some earthy hop esters, and a nice layer of oak and vanilla.

This is a damn tasty beer. Tastes like it smells but with burnt sugar, hints of maple, walnut, black truffel and black tea. Really datey and pruney. The oak is nice, adds a soft round mouthfeel to the beer as well as some tannin from the wood. A good bit of vanilla on the finish really helps the drinkability and keeps the 10% at bay. Delicious beer. (706 characters)

Deep, tawny copper, dark and hazy enough to slightly obscure my fingers behind it. A soapy, one-finger head the color of cream crowns the beer for just a second before fizzling away to a thin ring, leaving behind horizontal streaks of lace as I drink.

The nose: tobacco, maple, raisins, banana, bubblegum, alcohol, smoky wood. I was told this batch was aged in sherry casks, but if I didn't know better, I'd say this spent time with scotch.

The flavor matches the nose well, though there's an increased breadiness and more alcohol than I expected. As it warms, the smokiness of the barrels gives way to the fruitier flavors, and a much better balance is achieved.

Light-bodied and bubbly like soda, with moderate carbonation and a pretty big alcohol burn. I could use more heft here.

Well, that was a bit of a disappointment. The barrel-aging adds a bit of interest, but the underlying brew just doesn't have the complexity of other top-tier quads. It was, at least, interesting with some parmesan. (1,051 characters)

Snagged this bottle up at Julios tonight on my way home. Poured in to a snifter, the color is a nice rose, with a ring of lace, and tiny chunks of yeast floating here and there. The smell is of peach nectar, honey, alcohol, and stone fruit. Taste is pretty damn close to the nose, with a nice lively carbonation. The oak barrel aging is apparent, but not too over the top. Same with the alcohol, definitely noticeable, but not overkill. Interesting to see a Trappist brewery use barrel aging. La Trappe Quad is one of my favorites from the monks anyway...wish I had a bottle of regular Quad to compare. Either way, damn tasty. (626 characters)

375ml corked and caged bottle, it is not a half liter bottle people below me. Batch 3.

It pours a plum/red/brown with a foamy off-white head that dissipates decently quickly with some decent lacing.

It smells awesome. It is has a lot of dark fruit scents along with some alcoholic scents like port and sherry and even a hint of bourbon even though there is none in here. The oak is huge, it is loaded with vanilla and wood scents. There is also some sugary malt.

The flavor is also good. La Trappe is probably the weakest of the Trappist Quads, but it still is a nice beer and the oak just adds to it. It is rich and fruity with a tang to it, and the oak is again in the forefront. It is very nicely oaked beer.

This one is decentlyhot, like a typical La Trappe Quad, but a bit more rounded from the barrels and the length of the aging though. (847 characters)

Taste: Malty and thick, almost sugary. Brandy-soaked cherries and dates make an appearance almost immediately. Later the alcohol develops a spicier, harder edge and coriander and white pepper shine through.

Mouthfeel: Creamy in the beginning, but it doesn't take long for the intense carbonation to prick the tongue. The finish is dry and characterized by oaky tannins.

Harmony: Complex as hell, but unbalanced. The alcohol is a bit too apparent, and there could be more of a hop presence to round out the sugary malts.

Batch 3. A blend of new oak, french oak, and port barrels (according to the La Trappe website).

Pours a murky reddish brown, small head that diminished down to a lingering ring. Smell actually reminds me of a sweet red wine. Very fruity, some oaky wine notes, pretty interesting and quite nice. Taste of this one is very smooth. The oak is pretty subtle, and the year in the barrel has no doubt mellowed this one out quite a bit. Definitely some tannic wine qualities, along with some fruity, estery flavors. It finishes with a slight bitterness and a lingering wine taste. The mouthfeel is a little lighter than I would hope, but the lower carbonation level works pretty well. I would say the drinkability is pretty high, but with a quality brew like this I am taking my time. Overall this beer is definitely an interesting take on the original. I would love to try all the different batches. A little pricey, but a unique and tasty brew. (941 characters)

Pours a muddy chocolate brown color with some honey highlights. The head is small and settles into a wispy ring. Plenty of yeast floaters.

The aroma is quite fruity. Red grapes mix with some tart apple and lemon flavors from the oak. Some light bready malt pick up. The oak really stands out in the aroma.

The taste is of raisins and grapes upfront. The tart green apples skin punch from the oak comes next. Some light chocolate and carob flavors bring a needed depth to the flavor. There are traces of some fusel alcohol.

The feel is light and spritzy. Sweet on the palate, finishes with some stickiness and ABV burn.

The beer feels a little raw but the oak adds another layer of flavor and works well with the style. The oak is strong in this one. (753 characters)

Muddy amber, atypically pale for a quad. The head rises fairly high, but quickly settles to a film. There's some scattered lacing.

There's a ton of banana on the nose, totally uncharacteristic of the style but fairly enjoyable all the same. Some phenolic spice, alcohol and spicy oak round things out.

The palate likewise has a huge ripe banana flavor. Sweet, malty, lightly boozy and vinous. I don't get a ton of oak, not even much tannin in the finish. Spicy phenols appear in the finish, along with mild but noticeable alcohol. Ends on a semi-dry note.

Overall it's a pretty good beer, though the huge banana character was unexpected and not very quad-like. (706 characters)

12.7oz bottle poured into my Narke tulip... A dark copper pour with a hint of dark orange, can look brown at angles, very light for a quad. The head is a dark tope, decent retention but a little weak and watery compared to what I'm use to. Ok lacing. Below average looking quad...The aroma is light dark fruits, tons of banana that is very weird, candi sugar, alcohol, and a hint of wood. Reminds me of a quad, but the banana is just weird, can't really tell that it was barrel aged. Doesn't smell bad, just not what I was expecting... The taste has a ton of the same notes as the nose, off quad flavors, but I think this tastes really good, super easy to drink. A ton of banana again, but adds a crushablness to the beer. Banana backbone, with alcohol, spice, and dark fruits. The oak is essentially missing again.

This is pretty good but I can't recommend for the price, way to expensive, especially when you don't really taste a barrel aged quad. (950 characters)

A: It pours an amber/raisin brown color with a nice two finger slightly off-white head. The head retention is respectable, to say the least, and there is a good deal of lacing.

S: The nose is very malt forward, with sweet roasty goodness leading the way followed by raisins and stone fruit. The oak is present but not as pronounced in the nose as I would have expected. The bittering hops sneak through as it warms with some vanilla, and subtle chocolate.

T: Wow, this is fantastic. I feel like all of my senses are coming to a halt and my brain is about to shut down. The raisins and stone fruits blend seamlessly with the sweet malt and caramel goodness. Sincerely, the flavors are so well blended that it has become an organism unto itself. The oak adds infinitely to the goodness without taking center stage.

M: It is thick and viscous with minimal carbonation.

D: Can I buy more please? I have one more to cellar, but I will clearly need more of this greatness. Cheers. (1,048 characters)

With greater delicacy and refinement than other Koningshoeven brands, this strong Belgian dark ale has genuine "Trappist" confectionate sweetness, but with the power and complexity that's expected of the entitlement.

The pour brings about a russet brown, hazy decantment that carries an eggshell-stained head laced with loosely knit bubbles for an airy/froathy appearance. As the foam reduces to a blanket of creme across the surface, the beer reveals intricate lacing patterns on the glass wall. A classy and masculine look.

A quick swirl brings to life aromas of ripe berries, cherries, apples, dates, and figs- all weaving into a yeasty/briney/winey scent. The bold esters and soft spices allow for a peak throuh of sweet maltiness that straddles cotton candy notes. The base alcohol scent adopts the oak character for a mild woody and pungent impression.

Flavors of sweet malty richness and powdered sugar lead the way with the fruity esters of brandy-soaked berries, dates, figs, raisons, and cherries. As the esters fade, the alcohol ushers in a spicier note that ranges from corriander and white pepper early, and sharper black pepper and cumin late. The alcohol flavor evolves into a mildly caramel/woody taste that gives greater complexity to the alcohol and yeasty fruitiness and spice.

Creamy and soft early on as the sweeter, fruitier notes prevail. But as the alcohols take command and the cherry/brandy taste grow, the beer becomes warm- to prickly- to numbing- and then somewhat hot or fusal. But the soft powdery tanins from the oak somehow keep the harsher alcohols in check for a pleasantly warm and solid dry finish.

For the first time (when discussing a Koningshoeven beer) can I begin to talk about some of the finer intangibles that separate Trappist Ales from most Abbey Ales. Notice that any mention of oak-aging is slight, as this character does a great job of smoothening the beer and adding subtle complexity without over-stating it. Although the alcohol could exercise some restraint in mouthfeel, the beer has the magical sweetness in taste that translate to succulent dryness late; and while offering many complexities that are difficult to describe... it is Trappist quality through and through. Definately the pick of the litter when considering the Koningshoeven portfolio. ...reminds me of a green Rochefort 6. (2,349 characters)

T - Light caramel sweetness upfront quickly decked with intense vinous flavors of oak and leather in the middle gradually lifting to reveal some yeasts and dark fruity suggestions of plums, raisins lasting well into a tannic and slightly tangy finish with an after taste of malts and grapes (4.5)

M - Medium bodied thickness with the right amount of carbonation and a creamy smooth texture finsishing dry and with a pleasant warming (4.5)

D - Most interesting vinous nose and flavors with an almost flawless feel except perhaps for being a tad dry; sweetness and phenols highly evident in the regular La Trappe Quadrupel have clearly mellowed down pleasantly, giving way to an elegant wine-like beer, masterfully crafted to be so easy and pleasant drinking (5)

This is a Batch 1 bottle corked 07/10, serial KO3F10, procured from Tanakaya Beer Store in Meijiro, Tokyo at 2070 yen; a treasure unearthed and a clear purchase decision. This is taken shortly after my 2009 La Trappe Quadrupel and quick comparisons reveal a mellowed sweetness and phenolic nature as mentioned and the introduction of vinous, oak flavors. The fruity nature was also less succulent and felt more "matured" generally. Very interesting and will definitely revisit this batch and the other 3 batches in the 2010 vintage. (1,562 characters)

This is by far the best Qaud i had from La Trappe. I got this bottle last sunday from my buddy Sietse, Apophis666. Thanks man!

Poured (i should almost say of course) in my Westvleteren chalice.

The beer looks very good in the glass. Not as dark as its opponents like the westy 12, the Sint Amatus and the Rochefort 10. Very little carbonation. It is a batch 2 bottle.

A light oak smell and taste. Good drinkable with a very good aftertaste. I am very surprised by this one because in my opinion this abbey brews not the best abbey beers. This one however is a hit! (567 characters)